# Standard Notes vs EteSync Notes

The clearest difference is rating: Standard Notes at 4.7 against EteSync Notes's 3.0. Standard Notes also leads on ratings volume (3.7K vs 2). EteSync Notes's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 64%) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Standard Notes sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $119.99 per year. EteSync Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

Standard Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Standard Notes has 3.7K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Standard Notes's written reviews are positive against 100% of EteSync Notes's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Standard Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, EteSync Notes weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and June 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Standard Notes | EteSync Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standard-notes/id1285392450/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/etesync-notes/id1533806351/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.7K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 63.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 92 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Standard Notes Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/586976285) | [EteSync Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1489574284) |

## What reviewers say

### Standard Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standard-notes/id1285392450)

Securely capture and sync your thoughts across all devices with end-to-end encryption. This app offers a simple, lasting place for all your notes, from personal thoughts to sensitive information, with robust privacy features.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encryption, Cross-device syncing, Offline access, Passcode and biometric lock, Tagging system, Open-source code, Optional productivity editors and themes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional Plan | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and reliable sync
- 🔒 Excellent privacy and security
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 📚 Great for organizing notes
- 💻 Cross-platform availability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🔑 Frustrating login/authentication issues
- 💰 Expensive premium subscription
- 📱 Limited features in free version
- 🖍️ Lack of formatting options

**Reported bugs**

- Notes disappearing or getting deleted unexpectedly
- Sync issues between devices
- Keyboard and UI bugs on mobile
- Compatibility problems with older iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add support for images and attachments
- Implement a more robust search function
- Introduce a dark mode option
- Allow for better note organization (folders, nested tags)
- Add undo/redo functionality


### EteSync Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/etesync-notes/id1533806351)

This app offers a secure and private note-taking experience. It features a change journal for data history, allowing you to restore or revert to past versions. An EteSync account is required, which can be hosted on a free, open-source server.

**Highlights:** Secure and privacy-respecting, Open-source client and server, Full data history and change journal, Easy to use with credentials, Data restoration and versioning

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Standard Notes free?

Standard Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is EteSync Notes free?

EteSync Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Standard Notes or EteSync Notes?

Standard Notes is rated higher. Standard Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.7K ratings, while EteSync Notes averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Standard Notes or EteSync Notes have ads?

Neither Standard Notes nor EteSync Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Standard Notes or EteSync Notes?

Standard Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, and EteSync Notes weekly. Most recently, Standard Notes was updated on September 25, 2026 and EteSync Notes on June 4, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*